Fire-escape.



2 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

S. DAVIDSON. FIRE ESCAPE APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1909.

MTNEEEE ism/ENTER S. DAVIDSON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1909.

Patented Mar. 15,1910.

2 SHEBTS`SHEET 2.

{Nut-WDW Smwxm www I WITNESEEE m O27 IINIIED @TAVIE3 FAVIEIWF FFIQE.

SIGURDUR DAVIDSON, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGURDUR DAviDsoN, of the city of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fire escapes, and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive device, by which it is possible to escape quickly and without danger from a building, the fire escape being particularly designed to prevent congestion, and to require little exertion on the part of those using it.

It consists essentially in a series of platforms interconnected by alternately inclined plates forming foot rests, the platforms being supported by brackets from the adjoining wall guard rails to the side of the platforms and the plates, a series of alternately inclined seats forming chutes; and inner and outer hand rails secured to the wall and to the guard rail posts respectively, the parts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a building showing my fire escape attached. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged perspective view of one of the platforms, the inclined ascending and descending plates and seats, the guard rail and the hand rail. Fig. 3 is a plan view of that portion of the fire escape shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 represents the wall of an ordinary building in which there are sets of windows 2, 3, 4L, and 5, a set to each story.

6, 7, 8, and 9 represent platforms supported by brackets 9 from the wall. The platforms are arranged alternately that is to say the upper one is secured directly beneath one of the windows 5 in the upper story. The second one is secured directly beneath the window sill of one of the windows Ll on the story directly beneath, the latter window being in position considerably to the side of the window 5 already mentioned, and the third one directly beneath one `of the windows 3, such window being directly beneath the first window 5. This alternate placing of the platforms is continued while passing from the top of the building to the bottom.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led `iliarcli 6, 1909.

Serial No. 481,720.

10 and 1l are foot plates extending between and secured to the platforms, the one inclined upwardly and the other down wardly. The foot plates are supported by angle irons 12 riveted to them, the angle iion bounding and reinforcing the platforms a so.

13, 14, 15, and 16 are posts extending upwardly from and secured to the platforms, those 13, 14 and 15 being at their open sides and interconnected by guard rails 17. Upwardly inclined guard rails 17 also interconnect the posts 15 passing between the platforms 6 and 7 and S and 9, respectively. The posts 16 pass upwardly from the platform centrally between the foot plates and are connected by guard rails 17 2, the same as those 17. These posts however extend considerably above the upper of the guard rails so as to form a convenient grip for the hand when one is passing from the platforms to the inclined plates.

18 are inclined seats secured at the inner edge to the central guard rails and being supported at their outer edge by brackets 19 passing inwardly to the foot plates. The seats are directly above the plates 10 and 11 and are approximately half the width of the plates, the reason for this being shortly apparent. It is to be noticed that the seats are discontinuous, that is, they pass simply between the platforms and are not interconnected at the platform.

20 is a hand rail passing between the posts 16 the rail being continuous and being looped around the posts, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

21 are rods passing through the post and securing the rail to them.

22 and 23 are hand rails directly to the opposite side of the platform to that of the hand rail 20, the rods 22 being secured to the wall of the building, and those 23 to the adjoining posts 15, it being noticed that they are bent slightly at their ends so as to allow the body portions to be clear of the wall and the guard rails respectively so that they may be grasped readily by the hand.

In using my fire escape a person passes out the window to the platform where they sit down on the first seat with their feet on the foot plates and grasp the hand rail 2O and if desired that 22 or 23, as the case may be. The inclination of the seats is such that they slide to the next platform and still grasping the hand rails 2()V walk or Patented llilar. 15, 1910.,

run on the second platform to the second seat where they again sit down and pass on to the third platform. This operation is repeated until they reach the ground.

I am aware that spiral chutes have been used but in these there is every possibility of congestion. The reason for this is that if there be an entrance from every story those passing from the story above might collide with those entering from the story below. Tith my fire escape the platform allows passage from every story and avoids congestion as it will allow those escaping to reach the seats and pass to the ground readily.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

In a tire escape, the combination comprising a plurality of platforms; brackets secured to the platforms and adapted to be secured to an adjoining wall; alternately inclined foot plates passing between the re speotive platforms whereby a continuous passageway 1s formed between the upper and lower plattorms; posts extending upwardly from the platforms; guard rails inter-connecting the posts and located at the outer side of the platforms and to the sides of the foot plates; suitably supported in clined chutes forming seats located above the platforms and supported from the guard rails at one side of the foot plates; a continuous hand rail secured to the posts adjacent the seats, thereby being within convenient range of the seats; and hand rails carried by the posts opposing the seats, as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at lVinnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, this 24th day of 0ctober, 1908. SIGURDUR DAVIDSON. In the presence of- GERALD S. ROXBURGH, M. A. SoMERviLLE. 

